Book Review - Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and The Happily Ever After
By: Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #3
Publication date: 14th August 2014
Publisher: Usborne (UK) / Dutton (US)
Page Count: 375 (paperback) / 339 (hardback)
Genres: Realistic Fiction, swoon alert kinda book
Source: Purchased

Rating: 6.5

The café is boiling. The atmosphere is clouded with bittersweet coffee.
Three years of desire rip through my body and burst from my lips: “Josh!”
His head jolts up. For a long time, a very long time, he just stares at me.
And then…he blinks. “Isla?”

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on brooding artist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And, after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer break, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to face uncertainty about their futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Set against the stunning backdrops of New York, Paris and Barcelona, this is a gorgeous, heart-wrenching and irresistible story of true love, and the perfect conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

I honestly never expected that Isla would fall under the 6 star rating because of how much love I had for Anna and Lola. In all honestly, unfortunately Isla wasn't the ending I hoped for for this beautiful series. I still love it, of course, I love all Stephanie Perkins books, however I just did not love this book as much.

What I am Loving:

Characters

Josh - I fell in love with Josh all over again. He is perfect. My baby. So vulnerable yet strong and so beautiful. In this story you see him go through the ollercoaster called life and the happy ending promised to come. Really, truly, madly in love with him.

Side Characters - I am really happy that the characters of the previous 2 books appeared. I anxiously awaited the arrival of them. Really it was because of them that I stayed in love with the series for such a long time after all. Also because I don't want to spoil anything but that Point Zero moment. Perfection.

World

As usual, I love the world that Stephanie Perkins creates. It's beautiful and magical and everything that made me fall in love with the series. Just like the previous books, I felt that the setting added to the book and made me feel more immersed in it. Love. Just love.

What I am Unsure Of:

Isla - Firstly. Her name is pronounced as EYE-LA and not IZ-LA. Secondly. I don't like her. I'm sorry but I just don't At least compared to Anna and Lola. Anna was my favorite because she was simple, strong and she was NOT needy. Lola was beautiful in her own unique way. Isla was just a complete mess - a complete needy mess. On the whole I honestly think that she just didn't fit in with Josh and I don't see myself loving them as a couple.

Plot - Ayyyyy. Nope. Sorry Not going with it. I love Stephanie Perkins because her books are realistic and beautiful and they give me the swoony feels. However, this plot was NOT realistic. It was far from realistic. It's just. I can't. I'm sorry. I'm a little bias here but for me it was Isla's fault. I just can't imagine her with Josh much. I think Josh needs a much simpler, stronger, less needy partner in his life and that person isn't Isla.

Final Verdict:

Overall, I am unsatisfied with the book. My heart is breaking to say this but I am pretty unsatisfied with this. I felt that Isla needed to be a stronger character to match Josh. Overall, it didn't seem like their romance was as realistic, unlike Anna & Etienne's and Lola & Cricket's love. I was really tempted to stop reading halfway just because I wasn't into it. The one thing I loved was Josh. I felt he was the only one who truly made the book worth it. I would still recommend it because I love the series overall - but I wouldn't bring too high of an expectation with it.

*All pictures and graphics do not belong to me. I take no credit at any of it.

** All opinions are mine and are in no way influenced by anyone or anything.